2011-12 Minnesota Season Thread (Pride On Ice Returns!)

[Koho]

Re: 2011-12 Minnesota Season Thread (Pride On Ice Returns!)

Gophers deserved to lose that one. Lets hope the team learns to play for 60 minutes soon.

You watched different game than I. They played well and controlled most of the play. A few close plays go a different way and MN wins easily.

 

[Koho]

Re: 2011-12 Minnesota Season Thread (Pride On Ice Returns!)

Sure would have been nice to start this weekend with a win. Watched parts of 4 college games last night (nice to see the alternate Fox channel picking up other games) and now will watch all the Hockey Day in MN games. It is a good weekend for hockey.

 

[5mn_Major]

Re: 2011-12 Minnesota Season Thread (Pride On Ice Returns!)

You watched different game than I. They played well and controlled most of the play. A few close plays go a different way and MN wins easily.

They frequently control play. That's always been the Gophers style and IMO is not a measure of how the team is doing.

The Gophers have considerably more talent and depth than CC or Notre Dame, etc and in this case, we played them at home. I wouldn't trade any of the Gophers lines 1-4 for any CC lines. Our D has the potential of resulting in several goals a game more than its opponents on any given night. With no goals scored through the first 58 mn of the game you can't fault our defense for losing last night. And Patterson is also a pretty talented goalie.

There's no question that they were snake bit last night...but that's been happening pretty much every other game and they're are 1-4 since new years eve. Folks shouldn't confuse talent and entertaining play with drive to whatever is needed to win.

Having said that, I'm fine if they lose a few more if it means they can get it out of their system.

 

[Koho]

Re: 2011-12 Minnesota Season Thread (Pride On Ice Returns!)

They frequently control play. That's always been the Gophers style and IMO is not a measure of how the team is doing.

The Gophers have considerably more talent and depth than CC or Notre Dame, etc and in this case, we played them at home. I wouldn't trade any of the Gophers lines 1-4 for any CC lines. Our D has the potential of resulting in several goals a game more than its opponents on any given night. With no goals scored through the first 58 mn of the game you can't fault our defense for losing last night. And Patterson is also a pretty talented goalie.

There's no question that they were snake bit last night...but that's been happening pretty much every other game and they're are 1-4 since new years eve. Folks shouldn't confuse talent and entertaining play with drive to whatever is needed to win.

Having said that, I'm fine if they lose a few more if it means they can get it out of their system.

The assessment of last night's game wasn't just puck possession, but on how hard they worked and how many battles they won. They had a number of close chances where the puck bounced, they missed by inches or the goalie made a great save. Tonight's effort was less impressive, IMO, yet they won.

BTW, just switched to the UMD game and they are tied with Alabama-huntsville, 3-3 after 2. (10th game I've watched at least part of in last 30 hours, or so.) I'll have to watch the HS games live next year.

 

[Greyeagle]

Re: 2011-12 Minnesota Season Thread (Pride On Ice Returns!)

I posted this on GPL too but how much better are MN's defensemen with the puck on the point this year. Very few blocked shots and much smarter decisions. Nice to see.

 

[JDUBBS1280]

I posted this on GPL too but how much better are MN's defensemen with the puck on the point this. Very few blocked shots and much smarter decisions. Nice to see.

Agreed.

 

[Koho]

Re: 2011-12 Minnesota Season Thread (Pride On Ice Returns!)

Watching the first HS game yesterday, that freshman (Wahlen?) for WBL looked like someone worth keeping an eye on. Does anyone know if he has links to any colleges? I know it is a long way to go to college and that was only one game....just saying...

And Grey, despite your drinking, I agree with your assessment of the D. Although in some games, they still seem to miss the net a lot when they have a player out front who could pick up a rebound on a low shot from the point if it hits the goalie.

 

[mariucci]

Re: 2011-12 Minnesota Season Thread (Pride On Ice Returns!)

They frequently control play. That's always been the Gophers style and IMO is not a measure of how the team is doing.

The Gophers have considerably more talent and depth than CC or Notre Dame, etc and in this case, we played them at home. I wouldn't trade any of the Gophers lines 1-4 for any CC lines. Our D has the potential of resulting in several goals a game more than its opponents on any given night. With no goals scored through the first 58 mn of the game you can't fault our defense for losing last night. And Patterson is also a pretty talented goalie.

There's no question that they were snake bit last night...but that's been happening pretty much every other game and they're are 1-4 since new years eve. Folks shouldn't confuse talent and entertaining play with drive to whatever is needed to win.

Having said that, I'm fine if they lose a few more if it means they can get it out of their system.

CC is much better than advertised, that defense goes a long way, they forced the Gophs outside all weekend. Both games could have gone either way imo, good series!

 

[Greyeagle]

Re: 2011-12 Minnesota Season Thread (Pride On Ice Returns!)

Watching the first HS game yesterday, that freshman (Wahlen?) for WBL looked like someone worth keeping an eye on. Does anyone know if he has links to any colleges? I know it is a long way to go to college and that was only one game....just saying...

And Grey, despite your drinking, I agree with your assessment of the D. Although in some games, they still seem to miss the net a lot when they have a player out front who could pick up a rebound on a low shot from the point if it hits the goalie.

I wonder if he's Dewey Whalen's (hell of a player at Johnson, '84) son?

I think the are missing the net a lot simply to avoid having shots blocked. They just seem to be making better decisions.

By the way, how good was Matson this weekend? Wow.......I am really going to miss him.

 

[JDUBBS1280]

Watching the first HS game yesterday, that freshman (Wahlen?) for WBL looked like someone worth keeping an eye on. Does anyone know if he has links to any colleges? I know it is a long way to go to college and that was only one game....just saying...

And Grey, despite your drinking, I agree with your assessment of the D. Although in some games, they still seem to miss the net a lot when they have a player out front who could pick up a rebound on a low shot from the point if it hits the goalie.

Agreed. He looked pretty good. I'm sure he's already getting looks from some college teams. I know Shane Gersich is.

 

[Koho]

Re: 2011-12 Minnesota Season Thread (Pride On Ice Returns!)

I wonder if he's Dewey Whalen's (hell of a player at Johnson, '84) son?

I think the are missing the net a lot simply to avoid having shots blocked. They just seem to be making better decisions.

By the way, how good was Matson this weekend? Wow.......I am really going to miss him.

I can't remember how it was spelled, but felt like it was spelled different than Dewey (Dewey's kid was my thought too when I heard the name on TV). But my memory sucks, so it may very well have been spelled the same.

So were all the missed nets the last two years by forwards to avoid blocked shots too?

And I've liked Matson since his first year. Can't complain about his play or work ethic, but with his play his freshman year, I had expected him to be scoring a few more goals by this year.

Good to see Condon playing more like I expected this year, in the last few games. He is playing so well on the PK that once the CC penalty was called yesterday, I just had a feeling he'd score.

Is there a thread for next weekend yet?

 

[Greyeagle]

Re: 2011-12 Minnesota Season Thread (Pride On Ice Returns!)

I don't recall how it was spelled either....but I have the programs in my basement so I will look it up if i remember. Yes, I am that geek, I have a program from most every year dating back to the mid-70s.

I was only referring to the D.....forwards repeatedly missing the net is perplexing. Probably because they aren't using Kohos.

EDIT: Google is my friend....Wahlin.

 

[Koho]

Re: 2011-12 Minnesota Season Thread (Pride On Ice Returns!)

I don't recall how it was spelled either....but I have the programs in my basement so I will look it up if i remember. Yes, I am that geek, I have a program from most every year dating back to the mid-70s.

I was only referring to the D.....forwards repeatedly missing the net is perplexing. Probably because they aren't using Kohos.

I think you have Dewey's spelling correct. I can't remember the spelling on the back of the jersey of the WBL player.

Regrettably, Koho's are no longer made. I am in the process of switching to composite myself as the last of my stockpiled Koho's are getting chipped up and on their last legs. I'll let you know if I miss the net even more than usual with the move away from Koho's. (I don't plan on changing my handle to "composite" though.)

On another note, while they had a solid weekend of effort, their PP still seems less sharp than earlier in the year. Any thoughts?

Also, has anyone compared goals per minute on a 2 minute PP to a 5 minute? It seems like most teams generate a lot less chances per minute on a major as they don't have the sense of urgency. I wonder if that translates into lower goal scoring. Any stat geeks out there look at this?

 

[GopherBigGuy911]

Re: 2011-12 Minnesota Season Thread (Pride On Ice Returns!)

Damm that loss on friday SCREWED us on pairwise.... is it possible to win the regular season championship and not make the NCAA???? How embarrassing would that be...

 

[Koho]

Re: 2011-12 Minnesota Season Thread (Pride On Ice Returns!)

Damm that loss on friday SCREWED us on pairwise.... is it possible to win the regular season championship and not make the NCAA???? How embarrassing would that be...

With UMD'd play this year, I don't think it is likely we'd be finding that out this year. Only way MN wins it is if they sweep most of their series. Then Pairwise wouldn't be a concern.

 

[Greyeagle]

Re: 2011-12 Minnesota Season Thread (Pride On Ice Returns!)

On another note, while they had a solid weekend of effort, their PP still seems less sharp than earlier in the year. Any thoughts?

One thought, faceoffs. When MN wins the face-off to start the PP and gains control they do pretty well. If they lose it and the bad guys clear they puck they really struggle trying to get the puck in the zone.

Good call on the sense of urgency.

 

[UMDbulldogs#1]

Re: 2011-12 Minnesota Season Thread (Pride On Ice Returns!)

Damm that loss on friday SCREWED us on pairwise.... is it possible to win the regular season championship and not make the NCAA???? How embarrassing would that be...

In theory it should not be possible in the WCHA. I guess it could happen if a team was to somehow drop their final few games to, for example, the 11th and 12th place teams and then be swept in the first round. And do it all without giving away the league title.

To the best of my recollection the closest anyone has come to doing that was Denver in 2005-06. They finished second (a distant second mind you to Minnesota) and missed the NCAA's. They had an atrocious non-con record, carried a handful of really bad losses, and were bounced in the first round of the WCHA playoffs.

Remember, it's only January. Still a lot of hockey to be played.

 

[Koho]

Re: 2011-12 Minnesota Season Thread (Pride On Ice Returns!)

One thought, faceoffs. When MN wins the face-off to start the PP and gains control they do pretty well. If they lose it and the bad guys clear they puck they really struggle trying to get the puck in the zone.

Good call on the sense of urgency.

Even when they are set up on the PP though, they don't seem to get the number of close-in shots though. Remember how often Rau would get the puck on the corner of the net early on? Seems like that almost never happens now.

 

[Happy]

Re: 2011-12 Minnesota Season Thread (Pride On Ice Returns!)

Damm that loss on friday SCREWED us on pairwise.... is it possible to win the regular season championship and not make the NCAA???? How embarrassing would that be...

isn't the CC rule still in effect?

 

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Re: 2011-12 Minnesota Season Thread (Pride On Ice Returns!)

isn't the CC rule still in effect?

No. Each conference gets one automatic bid. They get to choose who they give it to, but the WCHA (and every other conference) gives it to the WCHA Tournament Champion.

That being said, there is no way that Minnesota misses out on the NCAAs if they win the MacNaughton.